I always have to bring plenty of knickers/pants/panties/underwear (whatever you call them) because I wear a new pair everyday and do not want to be bothered washing them every few days. The same goes for socks if I am in a colder climate and will need them every day. With other clothes it isn't so bad because I can re-wear things without washing them that often - as long as they are not dirty or smell bad.

I think it is best to pack as light as possible no matter where you are going so you are not bogged down with excess baggage. When trying to walk around an airport carrying a load of luggage you will wish you left half of your clothes back at home.

I always restrict my luggage to one small carry-on bag and one checked bag and the size of the checked bag will vary depending on how long I am staying at a particular destination. I always found it much easier to deal with one bag as opposed to two or three especially when traveling by yourself.

So my trip is like 45 days away now and sometime before I leave a friend, who's also going, and I are going shopping. Any specific suggestions? I mean I have the obvious things that I would already have but anything else maybe not even necessities for London just something fun or cute whatever? Oh and is a rain coats a must because from what I've seen they're quite ugly and I could bring an umbrella...

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|vladasashatatianasophieanna mariaagnieszkasnejana| R.I.P. Ruslana"the earth is my body, my head is in the stars"

I'm a very light packer, and I always find it a particularly embarrasing American trait to overpack... lugging giant pieces of luggage for a measly 5 day trip -- if you need that much to look good, might as well give up now!

For two weeks in France I brought a carry-on containing:
- Two DVF wrap dresses: one solid black, one graphic black and white print (they don't wrinkle or take up much space, can be dressed up or down)
- One pair of Seven jeans
- One pair of white capris
- One pair of beige linen pants
- One Pucci shift
- Plain James Perse tees in black and white
- A few more dressy silk tops, like halter tops, etc.
- Bernardo flip-flops
- Manolo Blahnik high heel sandals
- Tods ballet flats
- Two bikinis

I don't mind rewearing things and I felt confident in my outfit choices the entire time. No need to take your whole wardrobe with you!

In response to someone else, debit cards usually work but there is a significant charge that is relatively equivalent to using a credit card in a foreign currency, depending on the frequency of usage and the quantity of money withdrawn. I always try to under pack versus over pack, too! You can always (and probably will) buy more.

I travel a lot. If I was going to a warm place for a week, I'd bring:Clothing
Three fitted t-shirts
One tube top
Three sun dresses
Two mini skirts
One pair of shorts
Two bikinis
One nice hoodie
Pajamas
Nice jeans
One cocktail dress
Workout gear
Ankle socks
Undergarments

I hope this is the right thread...I am possibly going on a school trip to Spain and Morocco in July for about 10-14 days. I really need help deciding what to buy because I grew out of all the clothes I have that I could possibly wear in summer and want to be able to take some of my new summer wardrobe on this trip. I want to look cute and fun but still show my personal style (pretty minimal, I like neutrals, especially balck, some colors such as plum, coral, violet, and various shades of blue, among other colors, are good to, I also like to add interesting details with jewelry and I love hats) and of course I need to be prepared for the weather... I also can only have one small suitcase. Activites include a ton of touring (walking mostly) inside and out, going out to dinner, shopping, and visiting places of worship. Does anyone have specific suggestions that are in the lower range of prices from places like H&M, Forever21, American Eagle, Zara and any other stores that are in that price range? By the way, I can't wear halters, tube tops, short shorts (mine don't have to be bermudas but they can't be too short), or anything that shows my cleavage or midriff because of my beliefs. Some of you are immensely helpful so any suggestions about specific pieces and combinations would be greatly appreciated as I am in a rut (plus getting advice is always good becuase some of the suggestions I never would've thought of on my own). Thanks in advance!

uhm..... tees should always be okay, no? i tend to overpack, but i always clear out ALL my tee out of my closet to take with me cause chances are, i'll wear a different tee each day, max every 2 days. they pretty much cover up your whole torso.

don't even THINK about coats and thicker jackets and stuff. Southern Europe during the summer is like a freakin' oven! sweat-stain central!

linen. that's the magic material for summer heat. a linen jacket, linen pants. one of those cashmere cardigans/pullovers from Zara. 2 pashminas in different colors, when it gets chilly at night you can use it as a wrap, when you enter places of worship you can cover your hair with it.

I don't know if it's too late now but if you see this before you leave Target actually has some pretty decent shorts, they're maybe like 3 inches above the knee but definitely not short shorts! And they have a few colours to choose from...

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|vladasashatatianasophieanna mariaagnieszkasnejana| R.I.P. Ruslana"the earth is my body, my head is in the stars"

I am an American living in the U.K., and I use my debit cards from various banks all of the time, and on the contient too. Just be sure to let your bank know... otherwise they assume fraud....good luck.

__________________If it ain't Baroque, fix it

If you wish to know my feelings about the masses, they seem to be suffering from an excess "m".